JESUS THE BETTER WAY: HE AWARDS A BETTER INHERITANCE
HEBREWS 12:1-29
Big Idea: God’s inheritance is worth preserving and persevering for and he offers a first installment here and now.
Key Verses:
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,
24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
INTRO
My father recently gave me the “first installment” of my inheritance. He gave me a shotgun. It is not worth much but it ties me to him – the memories it provides are more valuable than I can explain. I am glad he made sure I got that gun.
I considered trading it off for a “better gun” – he gave another one to one of my brothers, Patrick. We, with my dad’s blessing, had decided to trade guns. I decided not to. Patrick’s is worth more on the open market but the one I learned to hunt with is worth more to me.
I really am glad dad gave me the gun early. Just looking at it brings back fond memories and it tells me they were fond memories for him as well.
From the perspective of faith, we also are assured of an inheritance. In fact, like my dad, our Heavenly Father also allows us to enjoy a “first installment” of our inheritance here and now. On three separate occasions the writer of Hebrews speaks of our inheritance (9:15, 11:8. 12:16) and many other New Testament writers do too.
In Peter’s first epistle he writes: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4)
In his letter to the Colossians Paul says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” (Colossians 3:23-24)
As I read through the latter portion of Hebrews 12 I begin to get a glimpse of our inheritance – His kingdom.
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Let’s read the word of the Lord together:
JESUS AWARDS A BETTER INHERITANCE
HEBREWS 12:1-29 (PORTIONS)
Leader: Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy;
People: Without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Leader: See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
People: See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.
Leader: You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm.
People: You have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.
Leader: You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,
People: To Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Leader: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
People: For our “God is a consuming fire.”
Prayer:
Thank you for your Word, Lord. And may I simply request: “Thy Kingdom come and thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Amen.
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As I suggested earlier, God’s inheritance is not something we simply wait and wish for. It is something we can participate in now. God’s Kingdom is here – within us (Luke 17:21). It is not fully actualized yet but its existence does enrich us us even now.
It is very similar to a prince who will one day inherit his father’s kingdom isn’t it? The prince already experiences the benefits of the inheritance even though it is not fully realized yet. The coming inheritance impacts how the Prince lives and how he understands himself. That is true of us who follow the King of Kings too.
I notice that God’s kingdom is a very APPEALING KINGDOM (18-23). Look at the contrast between what God offers His followers and what the religions of the world offer. Even Judaism (his example here) offers duty, dread, law and fear. I like the contrast the writer sets up in verses 18-21. He uses the word “but” to make it very clear that what God is offering us is something strikingly different and much more appealing. He says, “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect.”
That sounds very appealing doesn’t it? What a glorious inheritance.
The kingdom that you and I are inheriting is a JOY-FILLED KINGDOM (22) too. “You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly.”
Paul reminds us in Romans 14:17 that: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
In the final chapter of this letter the writer will begin speaking about relationships and how the grace of God effects our interaction with others. What we will discover is that regardless of who we are talking with (saint or sinner) our lives and words should show that we belong to another Kingdom. Our lives and words, “seasoned with salt,” will exhibit the appealing nature of serving God and the joy that only he can bring. They will show that we are living in the first installments of our inheritance – that the Kingdom of God is within us.
Did you notice that the kingdom God is a VIRTUOUS KINGDOM (22-23)?
23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,
I am probably not the only one who has had enough of self-serving Kingdoms. Even the best of earthly kingdoms are corrupt and untrustworthy. They are flawed and broken. But the Kingdom we will inherit from our heavenly father is governed by a righteous judge and is overflowing with righteous citizens and inhabitants.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev. 21:1-4)
I cannot help but notice that our inheritance is a SECURE KINGDOM (24-28). It is founded upon “Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”
It is secured (or more precisely, assured) by the word and work of Jesus Christ. He alone has made this inheritance possible and he alone can guarantee its availability.
We live in a world that is being shaken loose at the seams in so many ways and yet, in the midst of it all, God has given us an “unshakable kingdom” (v. 28). Our inheritance is not dependent on a good stock market, or a good unemployment number, or even a good earthbound government – it is already secured and assured in heaven.
Finally, I notice that our inheritance is a WORSHIP-FULL KINGDOM (28-29).
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.
You have to admit – not every kingdom evokes a desire to worship even though most all kingdoms do invite you to worship them. But God’s kingdom creates an environment where worship is natural. Earthy kingdoms evoke a desire to revolt because they are not appealing, joy-filled, virtuous, and secure. But God’s coming Kingdom has the righteous God Himself on the throne and worship will be easy to come by.
Our God, you see is a consuming fire. He is a holy God and those who reign with him are themselves being made holy (Hebrews 2:11, 10:10, 10:14). He will purge away the dross from our lives like a refiner’s fire. Again, Jesus will prove to be more than enough to make our inheritance appealing, joy-filled, virtuous, and secure.
“I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Rev. 21:22-27)
WRAP-UP
So let me ask you, “What inheritance are you striving for?” Are you “making every effort” so that you do not “miss the grace of God?”
God’s inheritance is worth preserving and persevering for. And he offers a first installment here and now. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (Jesus Christ, John 10:10)
Let’s read our congregational prayer together.
Jesus: The Better Way
(A Congregational Prayer from Hebrews)
Leader: Heavenly Father, giver of all good gifts,
Leader: Because Jesus is better than our legends
All: We will look to Him for character
Leader: Because Jesus is better than our human potential
All: We will look to Him for strength
Leader: Because Jesus is better than our family pedigree
All: We will look to Him for identity
Leader: Because Jesus is a better mediator
All: We will look to Him for reconciliation
Leader: Because Jesus serves as a better guide
All: We will look to Him for direction
Leader: Because Jesus offers a better relationship
All: We will look to Him for communion
Leader: Because Jesus makes better promises
All: We will look to Him for assurance
Leader: Because Jesus ensures a better peace
All: We will look to Him for comfort
Leader: Because Jesus provides better possessions
All: We will look to Him for satisfaction
Leader: Because Jesus instills a better motivation
All: We will look to Him for purpose
Leader: Because Jesus establishes a better family
All: We will look to Him for belonging
Leader: Because Jesus awards a better inheritance
All: We will look to Him for our future
Leader: Because Jesus imparts a better life
All: We will look to Him for an example
Leader: In the name of Jesus, the Better Way, we pray.
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This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
First Church of the Nazarene
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
www.banazarene.org
